The present invention relates to an improved adsorbent unit which contains a separate compartment containing refrigerant tracer for use in a refrigerant accumulator of an automotive air conditioning system.
In the past, a refrigerant tracer was placed in direct contact with the desiccant in an adsorbent unit of an automotive air conditioning system to detect refrigerant leaks in the system by displaying the color of the tracer at the point of leakage. However, when the desiccant of the adsorbent unit was tested for water content, the tracer, which was in direct contact with the desiccant, caused erroneously high water content readings to be obtained. It is with overcoming the foregoing deficiency of prior adsorbent units that the present invention is concerned.